Stephen Clements replaces Sean Coyle on BBC Radio Ulster

  • Published
Stephen Clements
Image caption,

Stephen Clements is looking forward to "sharing some fun and lots of laughs" with listeners

Broadcaster Stephen Clements is to replace Sean Coyle in BBC Radio Ulster's weekday schedule.

The former Citybeat and Q Radio presenter will make his debut on the station on 23 September in the slot vacated by the veteran broadcaster.

The BBC said Mr Clements was a "great broadcasting talent" and a "great addition" to the station.

Mr Coyle's programme, which ran between 10:30 and 12:00 on weekdays, was dropped by the BBC last month.

Many of Mr Coyle's listeners criticised the decision and an online petition calling for him to be reinstated collected more than 7,000 signatures.

Image caption,

The BBC acknowledged that its decision to drop Sean Coyle "concerned many listeners"

The new programme - The Stephen Clements Show - will fill the weekday morning slot and will feature music and chat with listeners, according to BBC Northern Ireland.

Mr Clements, from Carrickfergus, County Antrim, said he was "absolutely thrilled to be given this opportunity" at the BBC.

'Refreshing station's output'

"It has always been my dream to broadcast on the most respected, most creative media platform on the planet," he added.

"I am looking forward to sharing some fun and lots of laughs with the amazing people of Northern Ireland."

The BBC broadcaster Stephen Nolan praised his new colleague.

This Twitter post cannot be displayed in your browser. Please enable Javascript or try a different browser.View original content on Twitter
The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
Skip twitter post by Stephen Nolan

Allow Twitter content?

This article contains content provided by Twitter. We ask for your permission before anything is loaded, as they may be using cookies and other technologies. You may want to read Twitter’s cookie policy, external and privacy policy, external before accepting. To view this content choose ‘accept and continue’.

The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites.
End of twitter post by Stephen Nolan

BBC Northern Ireland said the signing of Mr Clements was part of its commitment to "refresh the station's output" to engage and entertain audiences and to broaden the station's appeal.

Emma Dunseith, BBC Northern Ireland's executive editor for arts, described him as a "great broadcasting talent".

"We're excited to hear what he will bring to the station and we're sure his show will be a great addition to the weekday schedule and reflect his bright and vibrant personality," she added.

BBC Northern Ireland announced on Sunday that Mr Coyle would present a new daily programme on BBC Radio Foyle until spring 2020.

The corporation acknowledged that the decision to drop Mr Coyle's BBC Radio Ulster show had "concerned many listeners".